Sage Akumi
by DBZGirl182
Summary: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I suck at summaries. Oh, and titles too. Now that that's out of the way, here we go. Former Captain of the Sage Pirates, Sage Akumi finds herself in a situation she couldn't have predicted. What will happen? Read to find out -w-
1. Chapter 1

Alright...just a heads up...this isn't the 'OC falls into One Piece' story I was talking about xD I'm still gonna write that...in a week or two maybe. I thought this one was more ready to start than that one, because I realized I hated the first chapter I wrote. So instead...you get this. Enjoy. Or not. I don't mind either way. I really should be updating my other story, but...fuck it, I wanna write this.

Oh, and if you noticed in my last story, I'm changing from using 'Emily' as my name to my real name, 'Beth'. Emily is an OC. [Though I'm gonna change my name to that one day XD] I was using Emily's name because I don't like my real name, but I just realized I might use Emily sometime, so I don't care anymore.

Akumi: ...You're gonna make me do the disclaimer, right.

Beth: Yep!

Akumi: I'm not even gonna ask why.

Disclaimer: Beth does not own One Piece. She does own me though. And anyone else you don't recognize from the anime or manga.

* * *

'Mm...it's...really hot...' was the first thing to go through Akumi's mind, her thoughts still slightly blurred from sleep. She tried to raise one of her arms to lay over her eyes to block out the harsh sunlight hitting her eyelids, only to realize her arm was being held down on something. Her eyes snapped open, now fully awake, and she twisted her head to the left to look at her arm, which was tied to the ground with rope. She looked to her right at her other arm to find it in a similar state, along with her legs and torso. She also noticed, to her dismay, she was surrounded by water. 'How the hell did I get here?' she thought angrily, thrashing against the ropes. She eventually stopped when she almost flipped the wooden raft thing over.

She tried to remember what she had been doing last, and suddenly growled in anger. She had been drinking a mug of beer that a crew mater had brought her in her office, as usual, when she had suddenly felt incredibly tired. She didn't remember anything after that. 'Those bastards! They must have taken the ship too!' she thought as she banged the back of her head against the wood. She should have seen this coming, they were acting awfully suspicious the week before, constantly whispering amongst themselves. 'Dammit, I'm the captain! I'll make them pay!' she began furiously struggling against the ropes again in vain, only succeeding in making the rope cut her skin.

Akumi, former captain of the Sage Pirates, was stuck. In the middle of the sea. With no way to get free.

Hell.

'I can't believe I got myself into this mess...I knew I couldn't trust Seth, and I accepted him and Jesse into my crew anyways! What a fool I am...' She thought as she relaxed against the restraints. Those two had been nothing but trouble since she accepted them a month ago, and she was certain they'd convinced the crew to leave her. True, she didn't have the largest bounty, only a little over 60 million beri, but still! It's not like their bounties were higher, from what she knew at least. 'Maybe it's because I'm a girl...' she pouted. And how did someone with such a small bounty make it to the New World, you may ask? Well, it's very simple: She avoided conflict as much as possible, including Marine's, and planned carefully so she never saw any of those accursed 'Supernova's'. She knew even the weakest of them could take down her ship in an instant. The only reason she had such a high bounty in the first place was because when she did fight, she was ruthless, injuring her foes as much as possible before killing them, or throwing them off the ship.

'And now look where I am...' she thought miserably. 'Guess small fries don't belong in the New World after all...sure hope the Marines don't find me though...or other pirates.' She tapped her fingers against the wood absentmindedly as she stared off into space, imagining different scenarios for her current situation. In one, she starved, in another, she was eaten by a Sea King, in another, she was sent to Impel Down by marines, and the worst, she was captured by one of the Pirate crews she had fought before. She shuddered at that idea.

Eventually she dozed off, these morbid thoughts still entangled in her mind on a loop.

* * *

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, maybe a couple weeks, maybe a month, maybe a few days. In reality, it had been a little over two weeks, but she didn't know that, now did she? She could feel her stomach shrinking a little every day, and she was sure she looked a mess. She usually had short black hair that turned red at the tips, and a slim, yet muscular figure, but now, she knew her bones were visible, she could tell by looking at her arm. She had quit hoping for a rescue, knowing karma was a bitch, and this must be punishment for those she had killed before. She could feel her small daggers still strapped at her side, but she couldn't reach them, so they were no use to her.

A few times she had thought she heard voices in the distance today, but since she didn't see anything, she had written it off as her mind slowly going crazy from lack of nutrition. She closed her eyes, frowning when she could still see the sunlight through them, and sighed irritably. She hated not being able to do anything about her present predicament, but she knew she couldn't do anything, having made her fingertips bleed on the third day while trying to claw the ropes off her wrists by bending her hand at an angle so she could touch it with her fingers.

As the sunlight started to dim with approaching evening, she heard the sounds of voices. Again. She was really starting to worry she was becoming insane. Do crazy people realize when they become crazy? Do they know they're acting crazily? 'Stop focusing on dumb questions!' she shouted at her own mind as her thoughts began to drift off what she was currently thinking about: The voices were becoming louder. She was starting to pick out different voices, instead of a garbled mess.

"-shitty cook!"

"Who're you calling a shitty cook, Marimo!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Stop arguing already!"

"Yohohohohoho!"

"I'll make you eat those swords, marimo!"

"Better than your cooking!"

She heard two rather loud bangs.

"Oi! What the hell girl?"

"Nami-swaaaaan..."

She heard a couple sobs.

"You two are endlessly arguing! We'll reach the island in a day or two, deal with each other until then!"

"Hmph. Fine."

"Whatever you say, Nami-swaan~!"

She frowned. 'The voices are incredibly weird.' she thought. Oh well, if I'm going insane, I might as well act like it.

"Shut up stupid voices! I'm trying to die already! Why do I have to go crazy now!" She shouted at her subconsciousness, thinking it would be more effective than thought-shouting. She heard the sound of loud footsteps followed by shocked gasps. 'What the hell?' she thought, opening one eye to check her surroundings. She flinched when she saw a large boat not two meters away from her, and a group of people peering at her. Her other eye snapped open as she checked over the ship. She saw a flag flapping in the wind above her and looked up, noting it was black, which meant a pirate flag. 'Ah...hell...' she said, trying to make out the symbol on it. After a couple more seconds it twisted so she could see the grinning skull with a straw hat, which she recognized as the symbol for the Straw Hat Pirates, lead by 'Straw Hat' Luffy, a Supernova. She almost screamed in frustration at this new situation.

"Oi! Who's that?"

"Dunno. They look half dead though."

"Yeah, I can see her bones! That isn't good."

"What if she's an enemy?"

"...I don't think so...I don't think anyone would go to this length to capture us...not even the marines..."

"Bring her aboard!"

"Don't make such rash decisions!"

The last voice seemed to be ignored, though, as she saw a black figure jump off the ship, landing on the structure she called a raft. She saw blonde hair, and knew it was 'Black Leg' Sanji, a pirate with a bounty of 77 million if she remembered right. She whimpered as she saw him bend down to look at her face, make a small 'tsk' noise, and begin cutting the ropes around her body with a kitchen knife. Once she was free, she tried to get away from him, but her body wasn't responding properly to her, and she looked like a fish out of water as she scrambled to the corner of the raft.

Sanji stared at her for a moment, taking in the way she was crouched defensively, and grabbed her around the waist, jumping off the raft and onto the deck before she could say anything.

He sat her down on the ground, backing away slightly as she launched herself to the edge of the boat, hitting the side with her back. She took in the half circle of faces around her cautiously, recognizing each from the wanted posters.

'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro, who was also a pirate himself. She had heard he had been a bounty hunter before joining Luffy's crew, was staring at her with his one good eye, one hand on his katana.

'Cat Burglar' Nami, a thief who stole from pirates, was studying the girl curiously with her arms crossed.

A long nosed man who she didn't recognize from any posters seemed a bit frightened of her.

'Black Leg' Sanji, who had hauled her onto the deck and was now standing beside the long nosed man, hands in his pockets.

Tony Tony Chopper, said to be their pet, seemed rather professional to her despite his cuteness, looking her over from afar with a serious expression.

'Devil Child' Nico Robin, said to have destroyed battleships at the age of 8, had a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked at everyone.

Franky, a cyborg, seemed to be looking at her, but she couldn't tell behind the shades.

A skeleton was staring, not at her, but at the wooden 'raft' she had been using, with great curiosity.

And, last but certainly not least, 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy was almost directly in front of her, his large eyes fixated on hers.

All in all, she had to say she was fucked. There was no way she could escape from them, she knew they were too strong. She slowly brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her in an attempt to make her look smaller and not a threat.

Nico Robin began talking, still examining her thoroughly. "I believe that is Sage Akumi, Captain of the sage Pirates. Bounty of 66 million beri." She said in a confident tone. Luffy looked at her. "66 million? You don't look like you'd have that high a bounty! What were you doing out here?" He questioned, cocking his head to the side. She looked down at the ground.

"I really don't know, Straw Hat." She said, looking up to see Roronoa's eye narrow at her suspiciously. "I woke up tied to that...raft thing a couple weeks ago. You're the first people I've seen." She said. Which wasn't a full lie. She was pretty sure about why she was out there, but she had no rock solid evidence, and she didn't want to lie to them. She noticed Sanji walking off from the group before fixating her eyes on Luffy, who was poking her throat. "What's that?"

She knew immediately he meant the burn scar on the front of her throat and smirked, raising one hand to cover it. "Doesn't everyone have a few scars?" She questioned. He nodded. "But...that looks like-" "It's just a scar, Straw Hat, nothing more." She said before he could say anything else. He nodded before backing up a bit. She saw Nami coming closer to her and hunched her shoulders a bit in brace for a possible blow, but the girl grabbed her wrist and ran her other hand along the bone she could see through her skin. "You're really thin, Miss Sage." She said, releasing her wrist. Akumi laughed dryly. "You go a couple weeks without food, see if you look like a model after." She said sarcastically, but there was a hidden bitterness in her tone not many could pick out.

Nami backed up as Sanji came back, a plate of food in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He sat them in front of her, but she stared at the food suspiciously. "Eat. I didn't poison it or anything." He said, putting his hands back in his pockets. She slowly took a piece of some green vegetable off the plate, taking a cautious bite. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she began eating quickly, though not as quickly as Luffy would, and soon finished the plate and water. She felt a tiny bit better, though she was now feeling the pain of her injured arms and legs, from thrashing against the ropes.

Chopper slowly approached her, looking a bit frightened of her, and took one of the small girl's wrists, examining it before pulling a bottle of something out of his bag and a roll of bandages. Before he could do anything, she had tugged her wrist back to her chest, and was staring at the entire group. "Why did you feed me? Why are you attempting to fix my wounds?" She asked, curiosity clear on her face. "You don't look like you could kill a fly in this condition, let alone one of us." Roronoa replied in a gruff tone. Luffy continued his statement with "Plus, you seem nice! I don't think you'd harm any of us." Sanji added, "Plus, I can't just let a pretty woman starve!" She blushed a bit despite herself as Chopper tentatively got closer to her again, this time being allowed to see her self-inflicted injuries. He put a few drops of the liquid onto a rag and dabbed at the wounds before wrapping them in a thin layer of bandages.

When he was done, he patted her shoulder, only for her to wince. He paused, studying her mostly bare shoulder, thanks to the tank top she had been wearing, and noticed it was quite red with sunburn. "Hm...I'll put something on this in the morning." He stated before walking back to the group that was still surrounding her. "Wait...morning?" She asked, to receive a nod from most of the group. Luffy piped up. "You're staying on the ship till we get to the next island!" He grinned at her.

"A...ah...okay..." She frowned, but before she could ask what she was thinking, Robin answered her. "You'll be staying in the girl's cabin along with myself and Nami." She looked up at Robin, nodding in understanding. Nami looked up at the now dark sky. "I think it's time everyone went to sleep." She said to everyone. They all sighed but slipped off, the boys to go to the men's cabin, and Robin and Nami helping the girl get up before leading her to the girl's cabin.

She pointed out an empty bed she could use, because there were only two girls presently, and she nodded in thanks before sitting on it. The two girl's quickly went to sleep, leaving Akumi half awake on her bed. She eventually laid down on the bed, leaving the blanket off her as she put her head under the pillow. 'Why are they helping me? Pirates don't help people...' but she immediately stopped herself, because even to herself that was a lie, as she had helped a few people during her 'career' as a pirate. The better question was, why help her? They knew who she was, and had even let her keep her weapons, as if they had complete trust she wouldn't try to kill them. She absentmindedly touched the scar on her throat. 'Will they really just let me go when we reach the next island?' She thought as she slowly drifted off into sleep.

* * *

*Flails arms madly* Done with the first chapter! Finally! I worked on this for three hours! xD I know a lot of people will probably hate this, and that's fine with me owo I tried, mmkay? Also, I don't think she's a Mary Sue, she doesn't have any extraordinary power or anything...so yeah. If she does seem Mary Sue-ish, sorry!

Because I feel it's important information to mention right now, I listened to 'Okama Way' and Usopp's Character Single, Usopp no Hanamichi, while writing this. I also broke out into random dancing while listening to Okama Way because I'm insane and sitting at the computer excessively annoys me. oHo

Hope you liked this! Writer out! *Grabs Akumi and runs away before haters hate on mah horrible story*


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I was gonna try to write yesterday, but when I got on I immediately did not feel like writing xD I'm gonna try to write today though.

I swear to Anime Jeebus if I keep on not capitalizing names and such, I'm gonna stab the keyboard with a rusty spoon -_- Oh well, I try.

Oxenstierna D. Yuki-Rin - Why are my readers psychic? Haha, oh well, that's what I get for having intelligent people reading my story along with an apparently seeable plot. They won't be the only villains, but they'll probably show up at some point.

Savage Kill - Kekeke, well, it wasn't that...but good guess! Thanks!

Beth: Now, disclaimer.

Akumi: *Sighs*

Disclaimer: Beth does not own One Piece or any of it's characters, but she does own me and the Sage Pirates.

* * *

Akumi awoke when the sun was just beginning to shine outside, but instead of getting up, she laid like she was for a little while longer. It was only when she heard the sound of what she assumed was metal object's being thrown around did she get up, running a hand through her messy hair and blinking the edge of sleep away. She looked around, noticing Nami still asleep on her bed, but Robin missing. She carefully got up, so as to not wake Nami, and slipped out of the room.

She tugged on the edges of her now completely dried white tank top, noticing it was a bit stiff from the salt dried in it. She could feel by walking the same could be said for her shorts, which were red and stopped almost at her knees. She heard the sound of more clanging and quickened her step slightly in the direction of the clatter. She peeked in the door sh assumed it was coming from and saw Sanji throwing an assortment of metal pots and pans at Zoro, who easily dodged them and tried to hit Sanji with one of his sheathed katana. She giggled softly when she saw Luffy get hit in the face by a large pot. He started screaming at both of them and before she knew it he had Sanji in a headlock and kicked Zoro into the wall beside her.

Well, naturally, she was noticed, and her smile quickly dropped off her face as she saw them all staring at her. Luffy suddenly broke out into a grin, letting Sani go and walking over to her. "Morning!" She smiled back at him, twisting a small piece of her hair around her finger. "Good morning, Straw Hat." She bowed politely. He cocked his head to the side, as if confused, before shrugging and turning to go sit at the table. In the small amount of time she had spoken to Luffy, Sanji had cleaned up the whole mess of pots and pans, and there was now a rather large pot of scrambled eggs in the center of the table, surrounded by a few plates of biscuits.

Robin, who she hadn't noticed in the corner of the kitchen before, stood and moved to the table, smiling at Sanji. Zoro grumbled as he made his way over to the seat on the right of Luffy. She aw the others filing in one by one in varying stages of morning prep. The only spaces left to sit were between Robin and Nami, and, upon Nami insisting, she sat down, smiling shyly at all the faces looking at her. Sanji made a plate for all three girls and sat it in front of them, telling the men to make their own before sitting down at the other seat on Luffy's left.

Morning chatter started up as they were eating, Nami saying they should reach the island in a few hours, much to Luffy and Akumi's excitement. When done with her meal, which she had eaten rather quickly, she was taken away by Chopper, who told her he needed to put the stuff on her sunburns. She followed him down the hallway to the infirmary, noticing how cute he looked with the blue hat on, and then laughing at herself for thinking of something as cute.

He opened a door and walked inside, motioning for her to have a seat on the bed inside as he waddled over to his medical table. She obliged, hopping onto the bed with her legs swinging off the side. Truly, she still felt weak, but she wasn't one to let that be obvious. Chopper waddled back over and jumped onto a stool in front of her, a tube of some cream stuff in one hand (hoof?). He opened the tube and squirted some onto the sunburn on my legs first, rubbing it in, and instantly she felt relief, as if ice water had been poured on them. He did the same to her arms, and she grinned at him. "Thank you, Chopper-san!" She said, sliding off the bed as he hopped off the stool to put the tube up. "You're great!"

He turned, a small blush on his cheeks as he began wiggling around oddly. "Oh, stop it, idiot! Your praises don't please me at all, asshole!" He said, but she knew he was lying by the grin on his face. she patted his head through the hat before walking back out the infirmary and out onto the main deck. She only saw a couple people there, Franky was sitting on the ground with metal parts strewn about around him, and Zoro was asleep against the mast. She could see a small island in the distance, and figured we'd get there in about an hour or so. She leaned against the side of the ship, staring at the island.

As they neared it, she heard more activity behind her, and figured they were getting ready to dock. She could see, from this distance, it was a summer island, and was glad now she had worn such light clothing, despite the fact she had gotten a sunburn. Noticing they were close enough she could get off, she sighed softly to herself. She turned, seeing the rest of the crew on deck, and grinned. "Thank you all so much for helping me!" She said, bowing politely to the entire group in general. Sanji swooned, yelling "It's no trouble at all, Akumi-chaaan!" She flipped off the side, landing softly on the ground before turning back to them again. "If fate will have it, let us meet again!" She said as she ran off into the busy city.

She looked around the city, searching for a bar, but only seeing side businesses like flower shops and bakeries. Just when she was starting to lose hope, she saw an old-looking building with the word's 'Maji's Bar' and broke out into a grin. She slipped inside, seeing a couple of the people's eyes turn to her for a moment before back to their drinks and or friends. She sat at the back of the bar in a corner, hiding in the shadows of the dimly lit place. Since she had no money, she wasn't here for a drink. She was hoping to gather some information on the Sage Pirates, or more specifically, Seth and Jesse. She knew whatever they did, she would be blamed for awhile, since she doubted anyone knew of her recent betrayal. So far, it seemed they weren't a topic of interest though, though she did find out Trafalgar Law was now a Shichibukai, which she hadn't known before. Hum.

She also heard there was a Marine Ship docking on this island, which was unfortunate, but she'd dealt with worse conditions before. What she wasn't prepared for, however, was for a group of Marines to come into the bar. She sunk lower into the seat, silently glaring at the group as they sat at the bar. She recognized one as Captain Daiku, who was said to have the Zap-Zap Devil Fruit, making him able to control electricity. She frowned. 'Why was he hear?' she wondered to herself. Suddenly he looked directly at her and smirked, making her eyes narrow.

* * *

:P I know what you're thinking, readers. 'Zap-Zap Fruit? Really?' I'm sorry, I couldn't think of anything better than that. T^T

Oh! And if Senpai is reading this, MAKE A NEW ACCOUNT SO CHU CAN REVIEW MEH~ I wanna know your opinion Senpai!

That's all!


	3. Chapter 3

I'm back! Finally have internet at my house, so MAYBE I'll be able to update sooner!  
YAOIFANZ97 - Omg...SENPAI~ HELLO~ Thank you for reviewing! T-T You liar tho...I suck! XD I'm glad I kept you from getting bored though. *Also flails wildly with you* I'll try! ;_; (You better thank Cyn Cyn XD)  
Oxenstierna D. Yuki-Rin - Yup! But they won't be the only villains...  
ureshiitamago - Thanks! Senpai is...senpai. I don't know how to explain. She's funny and I talk to her a lot. Look above if you want to see kind of how we talk to each other. *Points at the review response for YAOIFANZ97*  
...I had most of this story planned out on a sheet of paper, but now I don't know where it is...so I'm winging it until I can remember exactly what I was doing.  
On to the story! In case I EVER forget, this disclaimer will stand for the entire story. br /Disclaimer: I don't fucking own One Piece. Deal with it. :3

* * *

She glared at the Marine group, paying close attention to Captain Daiku, who was still smirking at her. He unnerved her slightly, though she would never admit it. She was a new-ish pirate, but that didn't mean she was stupid. Show fear, especially to Marines, and you're as good as dead.  
The man turned back to one of the bartenders, allowing her to relax slightly with his gaze no longer on her. She leaned back against the chair again, crossing her arms over her chest. She saw one of the bartenders coming her way, but she waved him off.  
She sat there for another hour or so, deterring bartenders and keeping an eye on the Marine Captain. Just when she was about fed up with the bar talk, she saw a familiar figure walking into the door. The green hair was a dead giveaway, and as much as she would like to catch his attention, she didn't. She wasn't quite sure why, but something told her now wasn't the time. She simply watched as he sat at at a table for two, propping his foot on the other chair.

'Does he have no manners at all?' she wondered to herself, but couldn't blame him. From what she had seen, most pirates are like that. She sighed quietly, rubbing her left eye. She went back to observing the people inside the bar, noting a group of four who were constantly looking at her and then back to one another. 'Do they recognize me?' she thought. 'Hm...can't say for certain. I'm not that big a name...'

One of the four stood up quickly, pushing in his chair. He was pale and lanky, a weak-looking fellow with pale blonde hair and blue eyes. 'He looks like one of those "pretty boys".' Her eyes followed him as he made his way over to her, his walk confident. He stopped beside her, looking down at her.

"Hn?" She looked up at him, her eyes as innocent as possible, trying to make herself look weak so she wouldn't cause suspicion. He placed his left hand on her shoulder, making her jaw tense slightly. "Hey girly, how's about you come over to my house?" he asked, but his tone implied a command.

She groaned internally. 'Another one of those "macho men"...' she thought. "Let's not and say we did." She said humorlessly, trying to make him understand to leave her alone. He persisted, however, and let his fingertips run over her neck in what she assumed was a seductive gesture. "Aw, don't be like that, pretty girl..." he murmured, bringing his face down to hers. "I'd suggest you get away from me, boy..." she all but growled at him.  
He blinked, noticing the promise of pain that was hidden in her words, but he paid no mind of it, taking it as a frightened bravery. Fool... His eyes narrowed at her, his beer breath invading her nostrils. "It wasn't really a question, girly." He gripped her shoulder, pulling her to her feet and bringing an arm around the back of her neck to drape over her shoulders. "You are coming with me." He said, his tone more forceful on the 'are'.

She sighed, her head tilted to the ground. Her bangs shadowed her eyes, but a small grin etched its way across her face. She laughed softly. "Every time...every fucking time...why do people continue to annoy me?" She muttered, her hands clenching into fists. "I asked you nicely to get away, boy. Clearly you don't understand English." She elbowed him in the stomach angrily, making him stumble back. She quickly turned and delivered a skull-cracking blow to this forehead with her foot, making him hit the wall hard enough to shake the entire building.

She saw all the eyes on her, including Roronoa's, but right now she only paid attention to the Marine's, who were quickly getting up. "I was wondering when you'd do something...attacking civilians, just like a pirate." Daiku spat, glaring daggers at her. "Shut it, Daiku. Any respectable woman would have done what I did, you just wanted a reason to capture me without making the first move." She growled, her left hand moving to her dagger at her hip.

A killer smirk formed on her face. "Don't think I'm scared just because you have a damn Devil Fruit ability, Zap-Zap Fruit User. Doesn't mean you're up to par with me. I'd watch who you pick a fight with, as you can see I'm already not in the best of moods." She placed her other hand on her waist. "You can try, if you want. However, it could end in the slaughter of your entire group." She could almost see the gears turning in his head, despite her bounty, she was incredibly strong, and they knew it. He sighed in frustration. "Fine! We'll be back. I hope you're ready, Sage." He said, referring to her by her last name.

He sauntered out, the team of Marines following him as a group. She sank back into her chair tiredly, ignoring the groaning boy on the ground behind her. She sat her elbow on the table, her hand coming up to cover her eyes in annoyance. She heard the sounds of what she assumed was unsettled bar-goers as they slowly returned to what they were doing previously.

After a few minutes she looked up, searching for the green hair she knew as Roronoa, but he was no where to be found. She assumed he had left after that little spat. She stood once more, stretching her arms in front of her and pushing her chair in. She didn't spare a glance at the slimy man, who she knew was still on the ground by his pitiful moans. She saw the other three who were with him and glared, as if daring them to say anything, but lucky for them, they didn't. She did see them quaking with what she assumed was fear, and laughed inside her head. 'Perfect. Another island of easily frightened people...though I can't blame them.' She ran a hand through her hair as she walked out, the doors shutting softly behind her.

She looked around the streets, noting the sky had a slightly orange tint to it. 'Wow...I was in there longer than I thought.' She thought, staring at the slowly sinking sun. She studied the assortment of buildings around her, mostly the businesses, each name running through her mind as she did. 'Sarra's Cafe...Draon's Weapons...Kando's Dojo...Gokiro's Tobacco...' she listed to herself, her brow furrowing slightly.

'Where to go now?' She knew she had to find somewhere to get a ship, and logically someplace like that might be near the docks, but she wasn't thinking much at the moment. So, of course, she began walking in the complete opposite direction of the shore, going further into the city. Hey, when she'd not thinking, she's almost as bad as Zoro...  
She turned corners without thinking about where she was headed, simply exploring, is the reason she gave herself. Looking to the side at the shops, she didn't notice herself coming to a light pole until she ran straight into it, making herself fall and gaining attention of the surrounding townsfolk, who laughed at her stupidity. She grimaced at herself, face palming as she stood again, brushing herself off. A shop to her left seemed to catch her eye when she was done, the glass in the window shining even with the setting sun. She read the sign. 'Ed's Alley? What kind of name is that? It's obviously a store, not an alleyway, so why would they call it that?' she wondered, frowning slightly at the store. '...Now I wanna go inside.' She thought childishly, walking up to the door and pulling it open./p  
Her eyes widened in awe.

* * *

...Meh. How do you guys like it? I always appreciate opinions!  
I'll try to update the other story tomorrow, but no promises, because I have a life too! XD Not much of one, but still...Please don't hate me for being gone so long!  
Follow, Favorite, Review! Writer out! *Slinks away dejectedly*


	4. Chapter 4

Ugh I'm a horrible person.

This'll pro'lly be a very short chapter. I dunno.

ureshiitamago: *Sigh* I wasn't back for long, now was I? XD

* * *

Akumi stared in awe at the room she had walked into, her eyes darting around. She could see a lot of people milling around the area, some with food or drinks in hand, others with pillows. Sleeping mats were all over the ground, and bags of clothes and other things sat near them. What had her attention mainly, though, was the walls: large bookcases covered each wall, filled with books of all different sizes and colors.

A few people in the building also caught her eye, they were older, she guessed in their 40's or early 50's, and seemed to be in charge of the place by the stern faces and confident walk. She approached one of them, an extremely tall woman with brown hair and green eyes, and tapped her shoulder. "What d'ya want?" The woman snapped, turning to look at her, but her face seemed to soften when she noticed who she was. She knelt down to be at her level of height, but Akumi felt it wasn't a disrespectful movement.

"What d'ya need, youngin'?" She asked, her tone a bit gentler than before. She gestured around her to the people. "What are all these people doing here?" The woman frowned slightly. "Ya don't know?" After Akumi shook her head, she continued. "What're ya doin' here?"

"Well, ma'am, I was really just looking for somewhere interesting to go. This place caught my eye." She answered truthfully. "So, what's going on?"

"All these people seek shelter here 'cause they're houses were destroyed by a tornado a few days ago." She explained. "What's your name, miss?" "Me? I thought everyone recognized me." She laughed. "Guess an outsider wouldn't, though. My name's Dandria, but ya can call me Danni. I run the library here."

She nodded softly. "Well, I'm Sage Akumi. Nice to meet you!" She grinned childishly before turning to a shelf to her left. "Hey, since you're the librarian, can I look at the books?" She tilted her head to the side, looking back at the woman. "Of course. Look at as many as ya want, but since ya ain't a native, please don't leave the library with 'em." She nodded again at the woman, beginning to scan the books, replying with a "Can do!"

She turned, looking around for anything indicating the sections, and finally noticed the signs above specific areas of shelves. 'Hm...this is non fiction...where's something more interesting?' she glanced to her left, then to her right, finally noticing the sign labeled 'Mythology', and made her way over to it. She studied the various titles curiously. "Hm...Gods and Goddesses...Chimera...Nymphs...Gorgon?" She lifted the book out from the others, reading the back of it. "Oh...a monster with snakes for hair. That's weird." She placed it back, continuing to search over them, her hand hovering over the spines.

Her hand paused on a specific title, and she pulled it out, staring at the cover. "Sphinx..." she mumbled to herself, before sitting on the ground right there and opening the book. She eyes poured over every page in interest like a child with a new fairy tale. Before she knew it it was very late, and she was tapped on the shoulder. She glanced up, seeing Danni standing over her.

"Oi, it's late, y'should go back ta yer house for the night." She said, her voice in comical understanding about reading. She yawned, rubbing her left eye sleepily, and closed the book. "You're right. Thing is, I don't got a place to sleep." She smiled at the woman, who frowned. "Ain't ya got some kinda ship to sleep on?" "Afraid not. Sort of hitch hiked here, and I'd feel imposing if I asked them to accommodate for me after they've done so much already." Danni nodded in understanding. "Well, we got a lil' room around here I guess. Ya wanna stay here?"

Akumi grinned. "Thanks so much, Dandria!" She said happily. "Oi now, none of that. I said call me Danni." She laughed, waving her off. "Really though. Thanks Danni." She said again, her voice a bit more serious. Danni nodded at her. "No issue kid, I already had all these folk to house. What's one more?"

She glanced around, noticing most of the people were either asleep or laying down, and found the spot she was at currently was the one with the least amount of people near it. "I'm just gonna sleep here, alright?" She looked up at Danni, who nodded before walking off. Akumi laid down on her back, intertwining her hands behind her head to use as a pillow.

"Huh...this town sure is interesting." She thought back to what had happened already within the past month. 'First I got left at sea by my own crew, then I get rescued by a ship with not one, but two Supernova on it. Then I get into a small bar spat, find a library, and find a place to sleep. Guess my luck isn't totally horrid.' She thought, referring to her sleeping arrangements. She dozed off soon after that.

* * *

"Oi! Everyone wake yer asses up!" She sat up quickly, on high alert, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes quickly. She saw some of the people there having similar reactions, while others were slower. She looked to Danni, since she was the one that had shouted, only to find her glaring towards the door of the library in anger. She quickly turned as well, trying to find the source of the woman's anger, and what she saw made her blood positively boil.

There, standing as if he owned the place, was Seth, in all of his traitorous glory. He had a smug smirk on his face, and she could see Jesse behind him. What pissed her off even more, however, was the fact he was holding a woman in a death grip by her wrists with one hand, his other holding a pistol to her temple. She had realized it was Nami, from the Straw Hat's crew, and that was even worse.

"Alright, everybody stay calm. Just give us your valuables and no one has to get hurt." Seth said confidently, as if he was a god and they were peasants. She saw Danni stride forward until she stood a couple feet in front of him and frowned, hoping Seth didn't hurt the woman. "What do ya think yer doin, boy? These people ain't got no valuables! Ain't ya heard? The best they got right now is clothin'!" She shouted angrily at him, gesturing to the clearly frightened folk in the building.

Seth smirked at her, and she saw Nami struggling to get free of his hold, only for him to tighten it. "Well, aren't you a brave one." He sneered, stepping forward a bit and dragging Nami with him. "I'm guessing this is your place? Must take a lot of money just to keep a library running normally...so where is it?" He questioned, his voice dark.

"I ain't gonna tell the likes of ya. I earned that money fair and square, and I ain't lettin no dirty rotten pirate take it." She stared at him, her eyes narrowed and cold as ice, despite their green hue. Seth shrugged. "Oh well then." He pulled the pistol, pointing the barrel at her, and pulled the trigger. A loud crashing noise echoed throughout the room before everything erupted into chaos.

The various people in the room were now either screaming, running around like imbeciles, or crowing around Danni, who laid flat on her back, unmoving. The only person to keep their cool was Akumi, who stood slowly, a dark glint in her eyes. Her left hand reached down to rest on the hilt of one of her daggers again, and she stared at Seth, who seemed to not have noticed her.

"Ha! Hahaha! She reminds me of my old captain!" Seth cackled, staring at Danni. "Foolish, naive, and willing to take a bullet for a group of misfits she didn't even know! They're both weak!" She heard Jesse laugh in agreement from behind Seth and her fist clenched around her dagger, making her knuckles white. He looked down at Nami, who stood calmly, her head lowered.

"Oi, orange." He nudged her shoulder with his elbow. "You give up?" Nami slowly looked up at him, her eyes determined. "Not at all. I'm just waiting for my nakama to come. They won't leave me here." Akumi suddenly remembered how close Straw Hat was to his crew, she had witnessed it first hand, and knew anyone who hurt one of them wouldn't get off easy.

Seth growled, grabbing a fistful of the woman's hair between his fingers. "Bitch, no one's going to help you. Everyone's scared of us, and with good reason, too. I'm the Captain of the Sage Pirates, and Jesse there is my First Mate." She saw a flicker of recognition pass through Nami's eyes, and could bet he saw it too. "You've heard of us, I take it?"

Nami grinned suddenly. "I've heard of your former Captain, Sage Akumi. What happened to her?" Akumi had to give the woman props for A+ acting. Seth smirked again, seeming eager to share the tale. "Well, ole 'Captain' was soft. She just wasn't cut out for the New World. Me and Jesse figured it'd be best to ditch her now, and the rest of the crew agreed. We left her adrift, she's probably dead by now." He snickered. Nami's grin lessened until it was a confident smile. "Wouldn't be certain of that if I were you, strange things to happen in the New World."

Akumi saw this as a good time to cut in, and quickly jumped forward, landing a few feet to his right. "Chick's right, kid. Don't be so overconfident." She stood with her legs spread slightly in a fighting stance, both her daggers out and gripped in her hands. Seth looked shocked at her appearance, and Jesse all but fell over.

"Miss me, kid?" She growled, taking a step forward to him. Seth released Nami, pushing her towards Jesse, who grabbed her wrists and held them behind her again. He took a step towards her, pulling a pair of gloves out of his pocket. "Hell no I didn't miss you, bitch. I was hoping you'd died at sea, but now I can kill you myself." He grinned, pulling on the gloves and clenching his fists, making the spikes on the knuckles prod out.

"Wouldn't count on that, half-pint. Despite my nature, I was Captain for a reason." She smirked, her bangs hanging forward to shadow her eyes. "And just in case you forgot, it isn't courteous to speak ill of the dead, even when you only suppose it." She reprimanded him like a mother. He rolled his eyes. "Since I was talking about you, it doesn't matter. Not like you were worth anything before, besides a little bit of money to the Marines." He laughed.

She snarled at him, her eyes burning furiously. "Shut the hell up, you insolent fool. I brought you onto my ship, and you repaid me by leaving me to die. It's about time I returned that favor." She lunged forward, her left hand raising upwards and coming down in a slashing motion, aiming to slice his shoulder in half, but he moved out of the way at the last moment and punched her in the side as she went passed him.

She landed on her feet, a little bloodstain forming where she had been hit, but no other visible damage from it. She moved forward again, this time spinning like a top on the toes of her feet, dagger's flashing with the points outwards. "Bloody Tornado." She muttered, shooting herself at him and slashing at his exposed flesh. A few light cuts appeared over his shoulders and arms, and he backed away quickly, bringing his gloved hands up for defense.

"You're still recovering from being stranded. You aren't at your full strength, Sage." He smirked at her, punching her in the gut when she stopped spinning and sending her flying backwards. She hit the wall behind her and landed on her feet once again, though she staggered a bit. "I don't have to be to kill you." She growled, her eyes flashing again.

He laughed, but fell backwards quickly, just in time to avoid the swipe she had made at his head. She felt someone grab her right arm, and turned, to see Jesse holding her, Nami unconscious on the ground. She raised her left hand to stab his arm, but before she could finish the attack she was punched again in the stomach, making her lose her momentum and breath. Jesse let go as she staggered backwards, bringing her daggers up in front of her again. "Two against one...isn't fair." She hissed, glaring at the two. Seth smirked again. "Who said pirates fought honorably?" He mocked, before rushing forward, bringing both his arms back behind him.

"Bullet Shot." He growled, bringing both fists forward to hit her in the chest, knocking her clear through the wall behind her and out into the street. She let out a loud pained noise as she hit the ground outside, her shoulders taking the brunt of the landing. Seth strolled out, still grinning at her. "Oi, you wanna know a secret?" He tilted his head, not waiting for an answer he knew wouldn't come. "Not all of us wanted you to die. We killed those loyal mutts." He laughed cruelly.

Her mind clouded with red, rage all she could feel. She couldn't believe some of them had been loyal to her, only to get killed. Her voice rang out in the silence. "Who...did you kill..." Her arms shook as she picked herself up, sanding on unstable legs. He laughed again at her pathetic appearance. "You should know that on your own. Keith, Ravie, Janice, Victor, Al, and Reku." She took in a deep breath before shouting at him. "Bastard!" She lunged forward, intending to spear his heart with her daggers, but tripped on a piece of debris from the demolished wall a moment before she could deliver the attack, and sprawled on the ground.

She heard him take a few steps toward her before stomping on her right hand. She whimpered, tears springing into her eyes. "Poor, poor Akumi..." He said with mock sympathy, grinding her hand into the ground, the hilt of her dagger driving into her hand. "Thought she could handle the New World. Too bad someone didn't tell her she was too weak to." With every movement of his foot she was making pained noises, at first quiet, but then growing louder and louder until they were almost screams.

"OI! What do you think you're doing?" A loud male voice shouted, surprising everyone. Seth slowly turned to the new arrival.

* * *

...Okay I was wrong about the short chapter. This is one of the longest chapter's I've written yet, it might even be the longest. It's still short, but a helluva lot longer than I thought it was gonna be.

The reason Akumi got so pissed when he said he had killed those people was because those were the people on the crew she was formerly closest to. Keith was the shipwright, Ravie was the chef, Janice was the lookout, Victor was the gunman, Al was their doctor, and Reku was her First Mate. I'll put descriptions of each of them in the next chapter if y'all want me to, just tell me whether you do or not. If no one says anything, I might anyways, but I'd really like to hear y'alls opinion.

Again, I am so, SO sorry for not posting. I've been hella busy, and still am, and I might not be on the internet at all after Wednesday, 'cause I got a D in Algebra. All depends. I'll try to post when I can, though!


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